ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR

The popular Steam and Vintage Vehicle Display held every year, will once again return to Slaidburn next month

Slaidburns 39th Steam and Vintage Vehicle Display will be held on 8th and 9th June at the Hark to Bounty by kind permission of the Slaidburn Estate. It is hoped that 12 steam engines and in excess of 40 vintage tractors will be attending this year’s event. The vintage and classic car section will include a BRM Formula One racing car which promises to be a crowd puller.

The car is owned by racing car enthusiast Andrew Wareing and was built in 1964 and driven by the late Graham Hill in 1965. Jackie Stewart drove the car in 1966 and on occasion he still drives the car at various revival events.

There will be working exhibits of farm machinery from a bygone era, which will include a 1930 Garvie threshing machine and a Bamford corn grinder – both these exhibits being powered by vintage tractors and a 1900 hay chopper.

Rural crafts include clog making, stick making, a local blacksmith, a peg rug maker and a craftsman who makes chair seats and backs from rush.

Admission is free and those attending can support the event by buying raffle tickets and making donations via the honesty tubs, which are placed at the entrance to the pub car park.

Organiser David McNamee recently received a Stars in Tourism Award from the Ribble Valley Tourism Association in special recognition for the work he does in organising the event, which has to date raised £85,000. In the past the funds raised have gone to various charities and groups in Slaidburn and this year the recipients are the Hodder Valley Agricultural Show and the Hodder Valley Bowling Club.

David said: “The event is how rallies used to be and is unique and simple. The rally has occupied the same site since it began and some suggested we should move to a bigger site but we remain adamant that it started on this site and will finish on this site. If it did move it would lose its identity. We don’t have a committee, there are no entry forms and exhibitors just turn up and we have never turned anyone away.”